Four-year-old Rishaan used to be underweight but now thanks to his mum being empowered through ChildFund training, he is catching up on the scales fast. 

His mum Anu participated in training in food preparation and nutrition through ChildFund New Zealand’s Lead Mothers' Programme in Batticaloa. 

Anu now grows her own vegetables at home and with help from ChildFund keeps chickens for a fresh egg supply for her children. She now also sources milk and fruit locally, rather than purchasing less healthy and more processed food from further away. 

Five-year-old Hiruni was also underweight but now too is much healthier since her mother Priya took part in the Lead Mothers' Programme.

Lead Mothers is an ongoing initiative that ChildFund supports in Batticaloa, run with the help of our local partner. It is based on a principle of training the trainers, so a group of mothers are trained in providing safer and healthier environments for children. These woman than take this training back to their villages and train other mothers. Nutrition, child health and improving sanitation practices in the home are key parts of this training, along with providing more stimulating home learning environments for children under the age of 5.

ChildFund's ongoing work in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka

ChildFund New Zealand is working with mothers, families and communities in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka to take children out of poverty in Sri Lanka.

Education, health, water/sanitation, family livelihoods and child protection are our key focus areas. The aim is that the community becomes self-sufficient in providing the basics children need to thrive, and so we (with support) can move on to help another community. 

ChildFund New Zealand works in Batticaloa through local partners. With your support, we can help Batticaloa reach its goal of self-sufficiency in providing the basics to its children through better access to safe water, sanitation, education, healthcare and child protection, along with more livelihood opportunities for their families.

If you would like to join us in reaching this goal with the community in Batticaloa and in doing your bit to help children in need, please become a monthly supporter through child sponsor or Child Essentials today.

Thank you on behalf of the children you are helping.

Child sponsorship makes a huge positive difference to not only your sponsor child but to other children too, the whole community in fact.

Click here to read the latest community Programme Update for Batticaloa.

Click here to read another story about mums in Batticaloa.